So I got my TB mare in July and when I was trying her out the trainer told me she was pasture sound and not sure with regular work how she would do. Well when I got her I started working with the basics of lounging, walking and trotting and voice cues and leg aids and flexing exercises. She has been doing great. She is pretty dull to my aids, when I got her she didn't respond to leg at all but know she does better. I usually have to squeeze and squeeze and kiss and she well walk on but if I relax she wants to stop. I really want to do some jumping with her but not sure if she well have the energy for it or even like it. I also want to do some dressage. Please share some of your training tips or suggestions. Right know I am not riding since it gets dark early and really have no where to ride.

Have you ever used spurs? Are you experienced with them? Was it you who also posted saying that the bit is not strong enough? Sounds like your leg will strengthen up a lot!! Just let me know and maybe I can help!

I don't think that was me asking about a bit not being strong enough. I might have asked what kind I should use. I have used spurs very little I did try them on her and she didnt respond to them or even a whip.

If she was sold as only being 'pasture sound', did you ask what soundness issues she had? Has she been Vetted?

I would generally say that any horse sold as only pasture sound was a very poor jumping prospect. I would start there before I started hammering and spurring to make her move out more. She may be a horse that is only comfortable standing in a pasture or plodding down a trail and not schooling let alone jumping.

If she's still reluctant to move even though she "know(s) better now," then maybe that's your answer. Horses can't actually speak, so maybe that's her way of communicating to you that you are asking her to do something that she's uncomfortable with or is painful for her. If that is the case, thank goodness you have such a sweet-natured horse and not one that would just try to dump you.

I would be getting her vetted before even contemplating jumping or dressage. My boy has got a bone spur and arthritis in his hock, I started noticing that he 'wasn't right' because he was unwilling to go forward, was grumpy and not willing to travel to the left. No one could pick up any lameness in his movement and said he was just 'testing me out'. I went to get him xrayed and sure enough, his hock is a goner.
He is now mostly paddock sound, after months of VERY expensive ongoing treatments, and I can pleasure ride him but that's about it. He will never be able to cope with the stress of jumping or the degree of collection required beyond preliminary level dressage.

Please make sure your mare is sound enough to do these things, as you may be putting her through unnecessary pain.

Why not do ground work with her?
Buzz is also a TB and he was pretty dead to the leg, I did some ground work with him, like making him move his body around (turn on the forehand, haunces, sidways, backwards) to start of with I had to apply a lot of pressure but now all I have to do is touch where I want him to move and he moves

Ok so before I got her she sat for 7 years the only work done with her was moving her pasture to pasture. She was taken off the track very lame when she was 3. I have had other people ride her and I watched and there was no signs of lameness. I am going to have the vet out again. She has been doing better with moving from pressure on the ground because I do that everytime I work with her. I well try to see if anyone can video me so that way people can see what I am talking about and maybe can give me tips as well.

Alot of laziness can be attributed to diet. I had a horse that seemed very lazy and had to push him all the time. Started giving him a small amount of red blood cell daily and it was a totally different horse and energy level.

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